Mediterranean cuisine is known as one of the most flavorful in the world. This is in part because of the use of flavorful spices instead of salt and pepper.
These spices add a dash of color and flavor to any dish and any chef worth his or her salt knows how important they are.
But even if you’re just an everyday cook, they can still transform your cooking. Buy dried versions of these herbs and you won’t need to spend a lot either.
Here are 15 Mediterranean spices and herbs to add to your kitchen pantry. Add some of these into your cooking and you’ll look like a gourmet chef in no time.
Parsley
Parsley is an indigenous herb from southern Europe, widely used in many cuisines, but commonly in Mediterranean food.
There are more than 30 varieties of this bright green-colored herb. The two popular ones are curly-leaf parsley and flat-leaf parsley.
Curly-leaf parsley is often used as a garnish for cold and low-temperature dishes. Flat-leaf parsley is chopped and sprinkled on top of the dish. It is often used as a snack or a vegetable in various soups and stews.
Parsley is among the most versatile herbs and is rich in vitamins A, C, B9, and K, as well as potassium and many others. Many studies find parsley can help with conditions like high blood pressure and other inflammatory diseases (1).
The mild, bitter flavor of the parsley pairs well with many recipes. The dried version of the herb is used as an ingredient for various recipes, soups, stews, and tomato sauces. If used fresh, parsley is great for lad dressings, marinades, and seafood dishes.
There are many recipes that include parsley as one of the main ingredients. One of the most popular culinary uses is for sauces such as green garden sauce and parsley pesto. These two can be easily made at home and can be either served with pasta, roasted salmon, or as a dip or a spread.
Saffron
Saffron is native to Southwest Asia, but was first cultivated in Greece.
It’s one of the most expensive spices you’ll find. The good thing is you’ll need very little of it for seasoning and coloring.
Saffron can add a strong flavor of grassy, bright honey and a yellow-orange color to the dish. The flavor can be hard to nail down and describe.
Since its first use in ancient Greece, saffron was known for its libido-enhancing abilities, as well as a mood and memory booster (2). It’s also a strong antioxidant because of crocin, crocetin, safranal, and kaempferol (3).
Saffron is used in lots of flavorful and delicious meals. Its subtle taste and aroma make it quite easy to add to many dishes, but it’s often used in risotto and paella dishes.
Thyme
Thyme is also among the most versatile in its properties and benefits. It boasts over 400 subspecies and it has been widely used ever since the ancient Greek and Egyptian civilizations.
One of the main reasons for its wide use is thyme’s distinctive taste and pungent aroma. The herb is fairly easy to grow and while its leaves are mostly used in dry form, they can also be used in fresh form
Thyme also has great medical qualities. Studies have shown it can help lowering blood pressure (4). It is also rich in vitamin C and vitamin A, copper, fiber, iron, and manganese.
Thyme makes a wonderful addition to a pesto sauce, which can be added to pasta or rice. It also adds flavor to egg and bean dishes.
Fresh thyme leaves or sprigs are an excellent addition to poultry and white fish.
Basil
Similar to thyme, Basil is yet another member of the mint family. The flavorful herb originates in Asian and Africa.
The leafy green herb is very aromatic and has a mild flavor, but there are different varieties each with its own distinct culinary qualities.
Some of the most popular ones are Weet basil, Greek basil, Thai basil, Lettuce basil, and Cinnamon basil.
Basil is a common ingredient in tea and supplements because of its health benefits. It is rich in vitamin K and contains small amounts of vitamin A, calcium, iron, and manganese.
Basil is often used in its dried form and has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health properties (5).
Mediterranean cuisine incorporates basil into many popular dishes, particularly Italian and Sicilian dishes.
From the iconic Italian Caprese salad to Zucchini and Basil pesto, basil is used to boost the flavor of all kinds of dishes.
Basil can also be used in combination with spices like parsley, rosemary, and sage really well.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a popular herb that originates in the warm climates of Asia and the Mediterranean. It’s often used in Italian cuisines.
There are many different color varieties. Rosemary has a subtle pine-like scent. It can be used fresh or dried as a herb in cooking or in salads.
Rosemary has shown that it may improve cognitive function among older people (6).
Rosemary is often used in soups, casseroles, salads, and stews. It also makes a great addition to many poultry, fish, and meat dishes, as well as grains, mushrooms, and potatoes.
Oregano
Oregano is a hardy perennial herb that comes in many varieties.
It is strongly associated with Italian cuisine. However, it probably originated in Greece.
It is a peppery herb that is pungent and sharp with a slightly bitter taste. Because of the sharp taste, you don’t need to add much – a little oregano goes a long way.
Southern Italian cooking often makes use of oregano for meat and fish dishes as well as fried, roasted, and grilled vegetables
Oregano is commonly used with meat like mutton and lamb in Turkish dishes. In southern Italian cuisines, cooking frequently calls for the use of oregano with grilled, fried, or roasted vegetables as well as meat and fish.
When it comes to health benefits, oregano has a lot to offer.
In one teaspoon, dried oregano has a huge amount of vitamin K. It’s also rich in antioxidants, especially carvacrol and thymol, which can help with chronic diseases like heart disease (7).
Sage
Sage belongs to the mint family, along with herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. It is native to the Mediterranean region.
It has a minty and earthy taste with a slight citrus flavor. Because of its strong taste, it can overpower other flavors within the dish when too much is used.
Because of the citrus flavors, sage works well in combination with meats like pork and lamb. It cuts through the meats’ richness and improves digestion.
Sage is particularly high in vitamin K. One teaspoon contains 10% of your daily vitamin K needs.
It also contains small amounts of magnesium, zinc, and copper, plus vitamins A, C, and E.
Cilantro (Coriander)
Also known as coriander, cilantro is native to regions spanning from Southern Europe and Northern Africa to Southwestern Asia.
It has a warm, spicy, and nutty flavor to most popular. However, a sizeable proportion of the world’s population has a genetic variance that makes cilantro taste like soup. This is found most often in East Asia, where approximately 20% of the population experiences soap-tasting cilantro.
Places like Latin America and India, where the herb is used more often, have lower incidences of this genetic variance (roughly 3-4%).
Cilantro is rich in vitamins A, C, and K. studies show cilantro can drastically help lower blood sugar levels (8).
Fennel
Fennel is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean. However, it is now widely grown in many parts of the world where there is dry soil near the coast.
Although fennel may look like an onion or celery, it has a much higher nutrient content. It’s low in calories and contains many important nutrients like vitamin C, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and calcium (9).
Fennel typically is used in salads, but it is so versatile you’ll find it in many other dishes. Fennel seeds are often added to tomato sauces in Italian cuisines for extra flavor.
Cumin
Cumin is native to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa.
It is a rich source of iron, as well as small amounts of calcium, potassium, and magnesium. One study found cumin may also improve indicators of diabetes (10).
Cumin can be used both as a whole seed or ground. Ground cumin has a very distinctive and somewhat intense flavor with an earthy, nutty, spicy taste.
It is most often used in curries, spice blends, and stews.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon was originally found in China but was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC.
It has a sweet and woody flavour, with a slight touch of citrus.
Many studies have found it has great anti-inflammatory properties inflammatory properties (11, 12) and can help lower the levels of total cholesterol, “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides (13).
It is found in both savory and sweet dishes.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is cultivated from several species of Myristica evergreen trees, which originated in Indonesia.
It has a warm and slightly sweet taste, making it an ideal addition to various baked goods as well as confections, puddings, and other dishes.
There have been animal studies that show nutmeg supplements can help reduce high cholesterol and triglyceride levels (14).
Paprika
Paprika is a ground spice made from dried red fruits of bell or peppers. It originates in Central Mexico and was imported to Spain during the 16th century. It is often found in Balkan cuisines.
There are three kinds of paprika:
- Sweet paprika: this is often labeled as just ‘paprika’. It has a sweet flavor that can calm down the heat in a dish. This is the best version to use in a recipe where no type of paprika is specified.
- Smoked paprika: when peppers are smoked and dried over oak fires. This process gives the red powder a rich, smoky flavor.
- Hot paprika: this type adds a peppery, spicy kick to any dish.
Paprika contains high amounts of vitamin A (1 tablespoon contains 19% of your daily needs), as well as decent volumes of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, and Iron.
Za’atar
Za’atar is a blend of spices popular throughout the Middle East.
It is typically made up of dried thyme, oregano, and marjoram, mixed with toasted sesame seeds. However, it can be combined with other spices like sumac as well.
Za’atar is a perfect addition to adding extra flavor to roasted and sautéed veggies, bread, and meats. It works great added to chickpeas as well.
Ras El Hanout
Ras El Hanout is a North African spice mix. There is no definitive composition of spices that make up ras el hanout. However, it usually contains at least a dozen of different spices. This means that different blends will have different flavors and aromas.
Traditionally it is made with ground origanum syriacum with roasted sesame seeds and salt. Spices like sumac can also be added.
When origanum syriacum isn’t available, some combination of thyme, oregano, and marjoram can be used. Some varieties also add savory, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds.
To Sum Up
These Mediterranean herbs and spices are readily available and some are most likely in your local supermarket – they aren’t as rare as you might think.
Try experimenting with them to take your cooking to the next level.